Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
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Mesa Marathon
The Mesa Marathon is a course of 42.2 km (26.2 miles) with 58.1 m (191 ft) of climbing. Its lowest point is 364 m (1,194 ft) and its highest 618 m (2,028 ft) above sea level. Next race: Saturday 13 February 2027, starting at 6:30 AM.
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 06:306:30 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · Half marathon · 10K
- Total climb
- 58.1 m191 ft
- Highest point 254 m833 ft above lowest
- Entry fee
- US$189
- For the 2027 race
- Time limit
- 6 h 33 min
- Finish closes 13:031:03 PM
The course
Drag along the profileThe course starts at 617.8 m on North Usery Pass Road and finishes at 363.7 m at Riverview Park, a net drop of 254.1 m, with 58.1 m of climbing along the way.
StartFinish
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Height drawn many times taller than life · GEDTM30
0 10 20 30 40 km
0 10 20 26.2 mi
Dashed: bridge
Your 5 gels, at the orange marksFor a 4:00 finish, one every 40 minutes
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
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- A 254 m drop from Usery Pass to Riverview ParkStarts at 617.8 m, finishes at 363.7 m; 200 m of the drop comes before 20 km.
- From Usery Pass Road to downtown MesaUsery Pass Road, McDowell Road and Power Road, then Center Street and Riverview Park.
- A 6:30 AM start and a 1:03 PM limitBuses from Sloan Park at 4:00 to 5:00 AM; 6:30 start; finish by 1:03 PM.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GradientA 254 m drop from Usery Pass to Riverview ParkStarts at 617.8 m, finishes at 363.7 m; 200 m of the drop comes before 20 km.
Most of the descent comes early. By 10 km the road is at 531 m, by 20 km at 417.5 m, and the last 22 km fall a further 53.8 m, so the second half is close to flat. The organiser’s own figure for the net loss is nearly 1,000 feet, and it calls the marathon a fast Boston qualifier.
Measured
Whole courseGeometryFrom Usery Pass Road to downtown MesaUsery Pass Road, McDowell Road and Power Road, then Center Street and Riverview Park.
The turns run right on McDowell Road and North Ridgecrest, onto East Eagle Crest Drive, right on North Power Road, left on East Redmont Drive and North Recker Road, then right on East McDowell Road. Later turns are Lindsay Road, East Brown Road, North Mesa Drive, East 1st Street, North Robson, West University, North Center Street, West Brown Road, North Date, West Rio Salado Parkway and North Riverview to the finish.
Sourced
Whole courseConditionsA 6:30 AM start and a 1:03 PM limitBuses from Sloan Park at 4:00 to 5:00 AM; 6:30 start; finish by 1:03 PM.
Marathon runners must ride the race buses, which leave the southeast corner of Sloan Park between 4:00 and 5:00 AM; the organiser asks them to arrive by 4:30. The half marathon has no buses from Riverview Park. The organiser lists 13 aid stations on the marathon course and pacers from 2:55 to 4:20.
Sourced
Race weekend
Friday 12 February Expo
-
09:009:00 AM–17:305:30 PM
Health and lifestyle expo Sloan Park, entrance at Home Plate Gate. Runners collect their packet and race bag at the expo.
Saturday 13 February Race day
-
04:004:00 AM–05:005:00 AM
Marathon buses leave Sloan Park Southeast corner of Sloan Park (Sheffield Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway). Marathon and 10K runners ride the race buses to their starts; marathon runners should arrive no later than 4:30. -
13:031:03 PM
Marathon and half marathon time limit The marathon limit is set at a 15:00 per mile pace, 6:33, and the half marathon limit is also 6:33; both must finish by 1:03 pm. Runners who fall behind are offered an escort vehicle to the finish. 6:33 limit: 9:18/km for 42.195 km6:33 limit: 14:59/mi for 26.2 mi
Other races (3)
-
04:454:45 AM–05:455:45 AM
10K buses leave Sloan Park Southwest corner of Sloan Park (Clark Street and Rio Salado Parkway). 10K runners should arrive no later than 5:15. -
06:306:30 AM
Marathon, half marathon and 10K start All three races start at 6:30 AM: the marathon on North Usery Pass Road, the half on McDowell Road and the 10K at Fitch Park; all finish at Riverview Park. -
12:0012:00 PM
Kids 1K start Northeast corner of Riverview Park, near the playground. Kids 1K at noon.
Times as published by the organiser, in Mesa time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Saturday
Race morning, on the record
We hold no start time for this race, so the record is read at 09:009:00 AM, local time.
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Mesa time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Mesa, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
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Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
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Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
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Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the Mesa Marathon
- Is the Mesa Marathon course flat?
- Not entirely. It has 58.1 m (191 ft) of climbing over 42.2 km (26.2 miles). The highest point is 254 m (833 ft) above the lowest. It finishes 254 m (833 ft) lower than it starts.
- When is the Mesa Marathon 2027?
- Saturday 13 February 2027. The start is at 6:30 AM.
- How do I enter the Mesa Marathon?
- Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: US$189 (for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
- What is the time limit at the Mesa Marathon?
- Runners have 6 h 33 min to finish. The finish closes at 1:03 PM.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Mesa Marathon.
